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sssssoup's reviews
46 reviews
Radio Silence by Alice Oseman
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was a quick read and definitely worth the time it took. It had a plot I’ve never seen before with a cast of likable, realistic characters. I thought the author did a good job of tackling the subject of toxic family members and traumatic experiences, as well as mental illness. It also had one of the most complex and well written central platonic relationships I’ve ever seen. It had a good message and a satisfying ending, too. This is definitely one I think everyone should read at some point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, and Fire/Fire injury
Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, and Grief
Moderate: Chronic illness, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Medical content, and Trafficking
Minor: Confinement, Miscarriage, Torture, Vomit, and Pregnancy
Once & Future by A.R. Capetta, Cory McCarthy
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book was so much fun. It was a great experience and reading it was a treat. The plot, characters, and world building all felt very well developed and it felt very different than a lot of other YA I’ve read.
The main cast members were all interesting and likable with distinct personalities and a variety of identities. There wasn’t a ton of development during the story for them - except for Merlin - but it didn’t really bother me. I wish some of the characters in the main group got more page time, but I was pretty happy with them for the most part. Overall I really liked the found family dynamic the group had.
The plot was definitely been done before, and it wasn’t the most interesting one I’ve ever read. I was definitely more invested in the characters themselves than what they were trying to accomplish. That being said, the last hundred pages or so felt very strange to me. Everything got pretty confusing and I wasn’t a fan of the direction the authors went with some of the characters and their dynamics.
Despite its flaws, I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it, especially to someone who’s looking for a lot of representation. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.
The main cast members were all interesting and likable with distinct personalities and a variety of identities. There wasn’t a ton of development during the story for them - except for Merlin - but it didn’t really bother me. I wish some of the characters in the main group got more page time, but I was pretty happy with them for the most part. Overall I really liked the found family dynamic the group had.
The plot was definitely been done before, and it wasn’t the most interesting one I’ve ever read. I was definitely more invested in the characters themselves than what they were trying to accomplish. That being said, the last hundred pages or so felt very strange to me. Everything got pretty confusing and I wasn’t a fan of the direction the authors went with some of the characters and their dynamics.
Despite its flaws, I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it, especially to someone who’s looking for a lot of representation. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Racism, and Blood
Minor: Torture, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
This Golden Flame by Emily Victoria
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I went into this expecting a typical fantasy book with a straight romance subplot but I was pleasantly surprised when it wasn’t. The cast was diverse and well written; the character were interesting and while Karis started off as a sort of not-like-other-girls type, but by the end she had changed. The found family trope was pretty well done, though I wish we’d gotten to see more of the side characters. I also really appreciated the aromantic/asexual rep with Karis. I’ve never seen a book protagonist with that identity, and it was really nice to read something with a character like that.
The plot wasn’t the most original, but it was well written and done in a new way. The world building was very strong and I could tell the author spent a lot of time on it.
The whole thing felt very different from a lot of young adult fantasy, and it was refreshing to see something unique. It definitely brought something new to YA and I hope to see more stories like this in the future.
The plot wasn’t the most original, but it was well written and done in a new way. The world building was very strong and I could tell the author spent a lot of time on it.
The whole thing felt very different from a lot of young adult fantasy, and it was refreshing to see something unique. It definitely brought something new to YA and I hope to see more stories like this in the future.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Torture
The Fascinators by Andrew Eliopulos
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Overall, I thought it was pretty middle-of-the-road. I didn’t hate anything about it but I didn’t love anything either. While the characters were flawed, they felt forgettable and didn’t really bring anything to the table that I haven’t seen before. Also, the magic system felt weak and under explained. I didn’t know that everyone in the world had magic until at least halfway through the book, and they never gave any indication of what the limits of spells were.
My biggest problem with it was the ending.I didn’t mind Sam ending up with Denver, but it felt like the author completely forgot about James. Sam spent the entire book talking about how he was in love with him, not to mention the fact that he gave up some of his magic to keep him from dying right before the end. They never talked about their feelings and we got no resolution of James’s home life situation either. It bothered me that we got no closure about such a major character and I wish we could’ve seen what happened with him.
My biggest problem with it was the ending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Homophobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Medical content
Bone Crier's Moon by Kathryn Purdie
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
I read this book over six months ago and I still cannot get over how much I disliked it. The characters were bland and forgettable and the cast wasn't diverse. There were no LGBTQ+ characters and only one POC character. The worldbuilding was cool in theory, but the execution wasn't great. The plot wasn't anything special – just a run-of-the-mill hetero enemies to lovers romance – and I overall just didn't like it. I know there's a lot of people who would enjoy this kind of story, but I am not one of them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, and Blood
Minor: Death of parent